Paul & Pam Interview 24th/31st May

Started by Graham Lee, May 17, 2010, 02:46:38 PM

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Graham Lee

Just got off the phone with Pam and they have agreed to answer the questions, although Paul knows nothing about this yet.
Pam is known as my Midlands secretary  :)  There website is; http://www.balloonsandtunes.co.uk/

And they have been in the business a very long time, no doubt they will tell you all about it.
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk

Graham Lee

#1
So Paul what is it like living with Pam  ;)
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk

Pam Pearce

#2
LOL!!! - hope he is not too honest!!!

Pam
xx

Graham Lee

#3
Yes we want the low down ;)
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk

Paul Pearce

#4
You ask me What is it like living with Pam ?

Different, very very different, luckily our garden is 200 yards long so occasionally I can hide. No one tells you what might happen when a Brummie marries a Scouse, but looking back friends did have a  knowing look on their faces when we said we were getting married. its now over 23 years since we got married and I think we both now realise the garden need extending.

Q1 What road led me into balloon modelling.  / Q2. When did you get started with balloons.

About about 1990 / 2 It was a cold wet, no very wet day Pam dragged me screaming into birmingham to a sunday market, When we arrived at the market which happened to by close to Gas Street Basin on the cut. ( I like the cut) It was so wet, I ran and took shelter on a stall operated by a man unicycling, juggling, showing us his magic skills and doing strange things with funny looking balloons. Having found the dryest place under his stall I said I like balloons impress me and I'll buy some, Instantly I sort of had a feeling how did I get into this situation, but went with it. Usual stuff for beginers, dogs swords, flowers followed and for several weeks we went to this guy for next informal lesson and bought more stock.

One Week he wasn't there, so went following week, Etc Etc till I went to the market office to enquire where the guy had gone too. He denied ever having such a trader on his market, and having assured him I was not from DHSS income tax just a keen person wanting to buy balloons. I left not knowing where my next bag of 260 would come from. I found a new supplier 3 3 10 then Crestline and other who came and went, so on to Qualatex and a permanent supply still feeps me modelling approx 18-20 years later.

I met Malcolm Boyden from BBC Birmingham told him my story and it was broadcast on his radio show, He also worked on the Bham sunday Mercury and wrote a 3/4 page article on my story, He also wrote a book on strange people he had met and I got a small chapter ( The book is still available Its Called Faggots, Ferrits and Elvis, Gaud knows why, I dont, its full of stories about Nutters.) it even got a plug on local TV but from that day on, I have never found the guy who first taught me  to twist a dog, But would love to meet him again and say a massive thankyou for changing my life.

Over the years We have purchased over a million 260Q, Who knows how many thousands of hearts or 5" and 11" round which we use for models and sculptures with no sign of ever retiring from this crazy world of rubber Hopefully it will never end, can you get 260Q's in the afterlife? someone up there , give me a sign...........


more question and answers to come soon........

Paul (Balloons and tunes) Pearce.

Paul Pearce

#5
Question 3 Best Twisting experience.

Working local at Drayton Mamor Theme Park was asked for a dog by a small boy about 5 or 6. I made him my regular dog we all do and so he couldnt pull it apart easily added a under inflated 5" round white  balloon tying the 4 legs together and told him it was David Beckham's dog with his ball.

He then asked me if I knew David Beckham's dog's name. No I replied, His answer came back immediately VICTORIA. All around us thought that was brill. I told him I was going to use that gag and even bought 5" round white printed football balloons and during my 10 year contract at said park got through over 10,000 football balloons. The cost of printing them was about 20p each.  Arn't children great.

Question 4

Can't say I have ever had a real BAD experience, but years ago I had a strange experience working in Leicester, It was a warm saturday morning and I already had a queue of about 50 or so people wanting balloons. A middle aged man walked to the front of the Q and said I want a car now! I explained if he joined the Q when it was his turn I would make him a car.A lot of bad language later the people in the Q pointed out to this man where the end of the Q was.

About 45 minutes later He arrived at the front of the Q . I was slightly concerned at this point hoping he would not wait as at that time I could not make a car.)

He said I want a f...... car, I got him to say please and to moderate his language. I pulled out a balloon and made a standard 10 bubble DOG, and gave it to him.

He lost his rag swore and he said its not a CAR. I turned to my next customer a boy about 7 years old and said was this a CAR or a dog??

He said (Thank God) its a car !!! I gave it to the man and he said what sort of Bl... car is it , I took it back looked at it carefully, passed it back to him and said its a ROVER, the crowd errupted in hysterics and the man dissappeared never to be seen again.

Question 5 & 6

Most children are happy with any model you make for then, for that short moment in time they are in the limelight and enjoy being talked too and NOT at. We are all children from birth to eternity so all ages are o.k. with me. Beware of pensioners though, they can be naughty.

Question 7

Same act, but vary the presentation, getting old now cant remember too many acts, and in fairness if you are seeing the same audience as they grow up , leave something out and they tell you it's not right.

Question 8

I always try to make a million smiles, Balloon models are the follow on.

Questions 9

SWORDS  swords  SWORDS  and more blooming swords............

Question  10

I make crazy hats, tell stupid gags and work as fast as I can, making smallers models. till the Q abates.

Question 11

Anyone between the age of 3 to 103. Anyone over or under that age is also O K providing they are with a responsable adult.

Question 12

Only one sort of work is good, Well Paid and appreciated by the audience. I try not to do freebies, it ALWAYS leads to problems.

Question 13

TEN years at Drayton Manor park, every school holiday and every bank holiday. Then Thomas came along , (ok thats progress for you.) And if it was quiet you could nip on the rides and I loved the Fish and chips for lunch neally every day. Got It thats why my cholesterol is so high, OK wheres my salad again......

Question 14

Damn bouncing castles etc etc when you are trying to entertain all of the children at the party and they don't stay in one place and be part of the show.

Question 15

Having been an entertainer since 1967, ( am I really that old thats 43 years entertaining loads of people and for a lot of those years I either had a full time job or ran our own export business selling forklift trucks worldwide.

Therefore marketing both Pam and I We have tried many many ways of promoting our wares and talents , the best being two clean vans, covered with decals promoting our services to anyone who wants to hire us for the right price. The times we have been flagged down in the local villages around here is amazing, people really will stand in the road and stop you for a card and a chat about a booking.

As a side we became grandparents 16 months ago and I had to buy an unmarked car !!! Daughter would not let us tie the baby to a helium gas bottle in the back of a van. I didn't see her point but she is a strong person like Pam so bought car. So when we are playing grand parents, we wave at people we know and they ignore us, cos we are not in the vans.


More questions and answers later.

Regards

Paul I. Pearce
BALLOONS AND TUNES
01827 316600

Paul Pearce

#6
on with the questions.... and answers......

First off I got told of by Herindoors did not put questions b4 answers. So I dont get anymore bruises her goes....

Q16 whats the biggest thing you have ever made.

A full size pirate ship. 101 feet long, 40 feet wide and 15 feet high,     ( well to the top of the mast.  built on a full size tennis court for the Summer Carnival at Tamworth Staffordshire  in 2008.

It took over 16,500 Anagram latex and foil balloons, flags, parrots and treasure chests etc....and was built as the biggest balloon maze ever made for children and parents to work their way through it from the front of the ship to the back where balloon modellers were places to give out  pirate patches and of course......... Balloon swords.

We lost count of how many people went through it but as usual the local press did not attend. luckily God was on our side and to add to the experience he sent us almost 2" (50mm) of rain in 4 hours, I think almost everyone was seasick.

It was a great day for everyone and we would go on to build something bigger in the future. We used almost 100 SDS oblong panels for its construction as well as 1/4 circle panels, columns and archways.

( SDS is an american product - Skistimas design system panels sold by Qualatex are are fun to work with)

Because of the weather on the day only 2 pictures were usable and are on our website www.balloonsandtunes.co.uk. thats if Herindoors hasn't moved them again. If she has, moan at her not me I dont understand websites.( apart from the ones we have in the cellar that come with very big spiders.)

Q 17 What is the proudest achievment in our wonderful world of twisted latex.

Pam and I are balloon modellers, sculpters, decorators and Teachers and my favorite balloon to work with has got to be 5" round, you can model sculpt and decorate with them and we have got through hundreds of thousands of them and feel I must be king of the 5".
BALLOON

We jointly won the title of " European Qualatex  balloon decoration company of the year, at the final bash in Amsterdam, which really upset the industry and many other "big names" told us that their name was on the cheque not ours.

Well we got the cheque and the trip to L.A. and had a ball in America.
Funny we have not been back to Amsterdam since, and the competition has never been run again, whigh means, I guess, our title has not expired.That'll upset em.

How I hate politics, we blow up balloons cos we want to, and we earn a good living from it.

Q 18 What advice would you give to someone starting out, or wanting to increase their business/

Be The best, practice, practice, practice, and do your own thing, Don't  pinch others work and have lots of fun . most importantly dont be the cheapest on the block if you work is good, the fee should reflect your skills.

Q 19

What road in latex do you see yourself taking in the future.

To continue to be a full time entertainer, decorator, sculpter and teacher in the art of Balloons. I use ALL balloons whether modelling, decorator latex, plastic or foil are all tools in our trade and can be used together to bring pleasure and fun and financial rewards to all.

Q 20

What is you personal goal when you set off to work / Is it money or to entertain etc?

Both of those and more,a lot more,  the effect we have on others may last forever whether good or bad it is part of life.

The rubaiyat Omar khayyam wrote,

                   "The moving finger writes: and,having writ,
                    Moves on, nor all your Piety nor wit
                    shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
                    Nor all your Tears wash out a word of it.".  ( 11 century)

So strive to leave a good and lasting impression, We all need to work tomorrow, whenever tomorrow is, to continue living today..



More questions and answers later.

regards
Paul I Pearce
BALLOONS AND TUNES
01827 316600.

Pam Pearce

#7
Can I answer some questions too - Paul and I may be married and do this job full time but we are not clones and dont always work together!!

I have deleted the questions there is no point repeating..

3, What's your best twisting experience?

I personally find every Twisiting experience and gig exciting even now 20 years on from the first model (although for the first 10 years of this twisting I was employed fulltime as a company accountant and assisted Paul) from inflating all the balloons needed to make all the mass models and the 'special' models at parties to adding designs in our decor work
(something we have always done) to creating designs for competitions and displays - or just inflating them for Paul to do whatever he is going to do with them.

4, What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you during a ballooning/entertaining session?

The worst thing has to be when you get an old stock bag and nearly every balloon you start to inflate pops - and the crowd say "That happens to me too"
These days we always buy our balloons direct to get the freshest balloons possible.

5, What do you most enjoy about twisting & why?
Everything because its the best job in the world

6, What's your favourite age to entertain?

All ages of family but for me probably 4-8 year olds

7, Do you have the same act but vary the presentation for all ages or do you have set acts for different ages?

For childrens parties as Disco based Entertainment the music changes and the entertainment changes but not as often as you would consider

8, What's your favourite thing to make at the moment?

Pink Fairy Ballerina's for the Dad's special model at a party!! Always say Dad told me on his way in his favourite colour balloon is Pink and he would like a Pink Fairy Ballerina - gets the laughs everytime

9, What is the most asked for model?

Still after all these years - Teddy bear in a heart with a heart - the ARHHHH model as Micheal Decker called it.. I try to make other models before it because once I make one everyone seems to want one except the boys they want swords or guns

10, What do you tend to do more of if stuck in the 'balloon production line' model?

This is one of my main differences from Paul, he trys if he is out mix & mingling giving balloon models to everyone who wants one. Me I just work the line and give them want they ask for till my time is up (have to admit my list is shorter and of more basic models if the line is long) then from about an hour before the end I start shouting the Balloon lady leaves in ''''''' minutes - stops some joining if the queue is no longer stopping I will sort out how many I am doing and put a stop in.

11, Who is your market aimed at?

Everyone

12, What kind of work do you do mostly - parties? Corporate? Etc

Its the variety of the bookings we do that keeps it fun and fresh - from childrens parties to corporate team building, from party decor to balloon scultpures, we have always done them all and in the current market you have to!

13, What is your favourite/ideal gig to do?

Mix & Mingle anywhere

14, What irritates you most at a gig?

People who think they can undermine and joke loudly and roughly about what you are doing just because you are standing there in clothes they personaly would choose not to wear.. when in realilty its only their own lack of confidence that makes them behave that way and they would never even dream about working for or earning my hourly rate.


15, How do you book yourself?

We are very good at marketing and promoting oursleves, it comes naturally to us and have over the years been involved with a lot of high profile events in the town that has made us well known in our local area - we also actively still support our local area, charities and groups in it to keep our profile high. After all 90% of our work is local to us.

17, What has been your proudest achievement in our wonderful world of twisted latex?

Theres a few, 1st wining the IPHS large Sculpture competition with the Big Wheel Paul designed and built in our garden at the NEC in 2001, then wining the the Qualatex European Balloon Decoration Company of the Year Award for the work we did at local supermarkets (as Midland/Northeners and unknowns, both where a shock to others and they told us so!!)

Then Watching the faces of the local people at Tamworth Childrens Festival walking through our first Maze Sculpture - it was sponsored By Pioneer Europe supplying Qualatex balloons for us, then the week before the event when it should have been having the framework built we had thunder & lightning storms so could not use the steel frame work we had bought, so 2 days before the show Paul had to redesign the whole maze and make 80+ wooden stands for the Clowns to be created.. It worked and everyone was so amazed that we could create something so interactive from balloons.. It gave him the idea for the bigger sculpture of a pirate ship with pirates creating the maze

18, What advice would you give to someone starting out, or wanting to increase their business?

Work hard, practice, practice, practice and Be the Best. Dont undercut or take others work, the market is big enough for all of us and there are many jobs that can be created and found to build this artform and entertainment into bigger industry than it is now

19, What road in latex do you see yourself taking in the future

Where ever it takes us no doubt it will be a fun path to follow

22, If you could start all over again, would you change anything?
YES - would have started in this business so much younger!!

24, Who's the most famous person you have made a balloon creation for?

Never starstuck really - we think the person we are entertaining is the most important person at that moment.

It easy for us to say as we have made balloons for many known people over the years. We have made balloons for Pete Waterman and Les Ross at a wedding, Paul gave Les a lesson on radio!!. Atomic kitten, Steps, Hearsay (Myleen Class and crew) when they opened a ride at Drayon Manor theme Park.  The owners and Family of Drayton Manor Park many times, Many famous presenters and crews for Central TV and BBC Midlands TV and Radio. Local personalities and politicians. Aston Villa football club team members over the years (have worked there many times, both match days and corporate events -as a Scouser they are not my team!) also other local club players -West bromich Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmignham City and Tamworth FC players and officials. Edwin Starr  (USA Soul legend) used to live in Tamworth (Paul has stories of times with him) to name just a few cant remember them all, sorry that sounds bad!!...

25, How do you keep the enthusiasm going & what still excites you about our great world of latex

Easy its a passion, it gets in your blood and takes over your life!!

26, What inspires or is your thought process in coming up with a new design

Cant say its something I deliberately do - but I am a daily looker on balloonhq and here at the pictures and other sites on the internet - so if we need some thing created its usually a mish mash of what others have made - I may take some ones head and anothers body and put them together to create what I am looking for..

Or as in the case of the big birthday hats and stuff we make regular, they just develop all by themselves!! we may turn up and its a themed party - at the moment 'Hello Kitty' is popular round here so I have changed the hearts to hello kitty faces - thanks to seeing the designs on the internet..

27, Who would you like to work with dead or alive?

No answer to this one really - most people answer David - but worked with him a few times - mostly with me as a face painter though not a twister.

Suppose if truth be told it would be My Mum and Dad!! It was their deaths and the sale of their house that gave me the opportunity to be brave enough to give up the day job and work fulltime doing this - so much so I even put a letter on their grave stone thanking them. I know they where proud of me and my accountancy achievements but it would be nice to say look what you have let me do now. Dad was a great advocat of life gives you opportunities and its up to you to take them - he always said dont get to retirement and regret not taking any of them , better to try and fail he said that not try at all.. Not a scholar but some one who had to leave school young so he could work allowing his older brother to join up in 1940's - who knows in different times he just may have been!!

28, What makes you laugh?

Seriously Scousers - and what they say - they are just the funniest people and half the time dont know it (My own Cousin just back from holiday "where did you go?" answer "oh cant remember that place with the Sun and the Big Triangles in the Sand!!" Classic she meant Egypt.  Dont tell him but my husbands silly humour and banter - I will never hear the end of it if he knows. Also Peter kaye's style of comedy, love him... Dawn French - go girl!!- Roger McGough poems (Scouse poet loriate, now a CBE) Craig Charles (yeh him from Corry!) with his comedy poems etc. Stupid things like children reading Christmas cracker jokes or their way of telling jokes and stories wrongly.
 
Thats me done on an unusual quiet Saturday, no doubt he will answer the rest his way soon.

See you all at the party 30th June

Pam

Neil

#8
Enjoying the interview, guys.  Very insightful, and very entertaining!   :D  :D  :D

--Neil
"I don\'t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." - Bill Cosby

Paul Pearce

#9
21, What are your balloon goals for the future?

Having become a grandad 16 months ago, in the same way that my nameless inspiration took the trouble to show me the world of balloons, it would be brilliant to pass it on to my grandson George in particular , and others, and let him run with it if he so desires. Only time will tell.

22, If you could start all over again, would you change anything?

I was middle aged when I found balloons or they found me, If I could start over again, I would like to start at a much earlier stage of life. The pleasure that balloons have given Pam and I has been and still is amazing.

23, How would you like the future of balloon modelling to develop?

Twenty odd years ago the world of balloons in general was small, compared to today, it will be interesting to see how it naturally evolves.

24, Who's the most famous persons you have made a balloon creation for?   wow what a question !

Soul singer, Edwin Starr tops the list, one amazing guy who used to shop with me at my local Sainsbury store in my home town of Tamworth.

Les Ross from BBC Radio Birmingham, BRMB, Extra AM, Saga radio, Smooth and other radio stations.

Pete Waterman, no one has told him he's famous and he talks to you like the guy next door. I could imagine him clearing the snow off your drive or getting you a pint of milk and a newspaper from the corner shop.

Roy Wood from the Move and in many other bands in his time. He is a legend in the Midlands and beyond, and despite his appearance is a gentle giant.

25, How do you keep the enthusiasm going & what still excites you about our great world of latex

At almost 59 years old, I can still make the occasional something new, maybe not a big model but one that gets you the wow factor from your younger audience who gives you a beaming smile for sharing the respect we have for latex balloons.


26, What inspires or is your thought process in coming up with a new design

In my home life, I enjoy gardening and Canal boating, everynow and again I pick up an item or see a tv program and see something that I look at and design it into a sculpture in balloons. I have a few ideas i'm working on, but in the past Pam and I have created some monsters including our quite famous Big Wheel (6500 balloons)
A full size helicopter with motorised rotar blades navigation lights and airband radio.

A full sized 5 peice pop band ( Called the Balloos Brothers, ) using rarely used distortion techniques first demonstrated by Chris Horne CBA 10 years ago (A balloon design guru for Anagram International.)

Three crazy balloon sculptures one a full sized and ridable Hardley Davidson motorbike c/w paniers and valid number plate for a 40th birthday party, A tropical beach scene set for a caribbean style Wedding reception c/w 6 giant palm trees beach and sunset backdrops and Two dice each 4'-00" cube offset on top of each other for a mock up of a potential casino themed event.

Two balloon based giant interactive mazes for local carnivals and a circus ring with 6'-0" tall balloon clowns juggling two archways of multi coloured balloons as outside broadcast set for ITV Central News T.V. located at Drayton Manor theme Park.

And for the future, I haven't yet replicated my real canal boat in latex or built my dream of a interactive formal garden with trees, lawns and flowers in multi coloured balloons in formal victorian style or built the leaning tower of Pisa or Eiffel tower.

So there is more to come from this old dog yet.


27, Who would you like to work with dead or alive?

I would not know where to start on a list like that there have been and still is a great number of iconic people I really admire, and who knows who will impress us or inspire us in the future.

28, What makes you laugh?

Everyone and most situations has the power to make me laugh and smile, but at the moment my grandson is top of the list, so much to share and experience through the eyes of the young, for the not so young.


That it, I've done my 28 questions as honest as possible, maybe a bit long winded but thats me I guess, I hope you will ask me others tasks as time goes by its been fun. Thanks for the opportunity to take part.

regards
Paul I. Pearce
BALLOONS AND TUNES
01827 316600

Graham Lee

#10
Paul & Pam........................Thanks
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk